Chronie in York

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This weekend I went away for a day/night in York. It struck me as I was packing how much we have to pre plan when living with a chronic illness. I didn’t book a hostel as I was worried about the toilet facilities and I was carrying more pills than than the what felt like the local pharmacy.

On the car journey my stomach started playing up in slow moving traffic, immense pain that came in waves. I also had to do a few mad dashes while in york to the local pubs to use the toilet facilities. I even used my Radar Key for the first time to open a disabled toilet that I spotted had the national key scheme on it.

Despite my crohns making an appearance quite regularly I had a really great weekend. I was determined that I wasn’t going to allow IBD to rule my life. Yes, I am currently on medication that has allowed some of symptons to calm down and Yes, I had to make adjustments while I was out, but still came away knowing I can still have good times while living with IBD.

It can limit me at times, but it will never take my freedom! You can still live a full life with a chronic disease. Keep fighting all you amazing warriors.

Live, love and be happy

Awareness

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On saturday morning I was helping marshall a walking event with the Mothers Union group, after the walk I got talking to a few of the members about Crohns and that I had it. One lady mentioned that it would be really good if I could come to a mothers union evening and talk about the disease. Read More

Poem – Doctors note

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Doctors note

I begged and I pleaded
I asked for help that I needed
But you waved me away
Its my IBS you would say

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Lets talk about Drugs

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I am now a year into my journey with Crohns and while I’m no expert I’ve taken my fair share of meds for the disease and wanted to share my experience with the drugs that I have been on and that I am currently on so far. Read More

Local Trotter Out

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IBD is a funny old thing, I got up at 9.30 this morning, which is later than my normal diseased tummy allows (pre disease 10.30 lie in at weekends, scandalous I know) and seeing as it was a sunny day, I decided it would be nice to drag my carcass outside.

Went for a lovely local walk with my partner along some fublic puffpaths (public footpath to everyone else)

I had a few wobbles along the way where my stomach started groaning and I thought Oh god please don’t let me be caught short (them brambles, sparse woodland and dry leaves didn’t look like good toilet ground)

A year ago I thought I’d be trapped in the house more often and that would be my life – but things are so changeable, I figure it’s best to seize what you can when you can as you don’t always know what’s around the corner. (Here’s hoping it’s a very convenient toilet)

Happy Trotting Everyone

Belonging – Community

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Having any illness or disease can be lonely. Now I have never been a social butterfly, but since my diagnosis and having periods of unwell where I haven’t felt like leaving the house and I have started to feel isolated and withdrawn. I joined the crohns and colitis facebook group to more understand that there were more people just like me who got IT, and understood what I was going through.

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The Measure of Success

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“The only real failure is the failure to try, and the measure of success is how we cope with disappoinment – Deborah Moggach”

I do try to hold this quote true to my heart. Life can be a struggle already, throw a chronic illness into that mix and all sanity can go out of the window.

But if I hold onto the truth that any achievement no matter how small is worth something and not to give myself a mental beat down when things either don’t go my way or how I expect them too I’m onto a winner.

So when I have a crohns accident (meaning I’ve shit myself) or I don’t manage to everything I wanted to in a day because fatigue has crept in, it’s OK.

And on those days when I feel like absolute crap and drag my ass into work, and maybe I have a little cry because things felt too much. I tried and that’s what counts.

I hope that this saying will ring true for many people in that we all experience disappointment, but it must not bring us down.